Patents by Inventor Chuck E. Tilmon
Chuck E. Tilmon has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20260103349Abstract: A conveyor-based system and method for assessing perishable consumable product quality include at least one conveyor for moving products and one or more image capture devices. A processor-based control circuit estimates the time a product will be at the center of an image capture device's field of view, considering conveyor speed, product type, size, and shape. At this estimated time, the control circuit causes the image capture device to capture images from various perspectives. These captured images facilitate efficient and precise quality assessment, including defect detection, identification, and severity evaluation using machine learning models and reference image data.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2025Publication date: April 16, 2026Inventors: Harinarayanan Kuruthikadavath Kurussithodi, Dhiraj Dhananjay Daga, Anju Das B, Raghuram Sathyamurthy, Soumabrata Arup Chakraborty, Sudipta Kumar Das, Lokesh Kumar Sambasivan, Maxine Caballero Perales, Chuck E. Tilmon, Michael Jason Klingman, Jeffery R. Montgomery
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Publication number: 20260107053Abstract: A system for calibrating the focus of image capture devices positioned to capture images of products is disclosed. The system includes a product support surface, at least one image capture device, and a control circuit. The control circuit receives an input indicating a product is positioned within the image capture device's field of view, identifies the product's type and/or size, and then adjusts the image capture device's lens to a focus complementary to the identified product type and/or size. A method is also disclosed, involving supporting a product, capturing an image, detecting its presence, identifying its type/size, and adjusting the lens focus for optimal image capture. This enables the acquisition of maximally focused images for efficient and precise quality assessment of perishable consumer products.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2025Publication date: April 16, 2026Inventors: Harinarayanan Kuruthikadavath Kurussithodi, Dhiraj Dhananjay Daga, Anju Das B, Raghuram Sathyamurthy, Soumabrata Arup Chakraborty, Sudipta Kumar Das, Lokesh Kumar Sambasivan, Maxine Caballero Perales, Chuck E. Tilmon, Michael Jason Klingman, Jeffery R. Montgomery
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Publication number: 20260103348Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing the quality of a plurality of perishable, consumable products include at least one conveyor. At least one image capture device may be positioned proximate the conveyor to continuously capture at least one image of the product moving on the conveyor from at least one perspective. A control circuit obtains and processes the image. In response to determining that the image contains a depiction of the product, the control circuit further processes the image to identify the product and detect one or more defects on a surface of the identified product. The control circuit may match the depiction of the product to a stored reference model. The circuit determines a size of the defect, translates this size into a defect severity level, and correlates the severity level to a predetermined threshold defect severity level. A notification is output indicating if the product is of acceptable quality.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2025Publication date: April 16, 2026Inventors: Harinarayanan Kuruthikadavath Kurussithodi, Dhiraj Dhananjay Daga, Anju Das B, Raghuram Sathyamurthy, Soumabrata Arup Chakraborty, Sudipta Kumar Das, Lokesh Kumar Sambasivan, Maxine Caballero Perales, Chuck E. Tilmon, Michael Jason Klingman, Jeffery R. Montgomery
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Patent number: 12175476Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing quality of and detecting defects in retail products include a housing having an interior, a product holding surface, an image capture device configured to capture an image of the product, a lighting element configured to provide lighting within the housing, an electronic database configured to store electronic data including reference image data associated with the product and representing the product in various sizes and various quality states, and a processor-based control circuit in communication with the first image capture device and the electronic database. The control circuit is configured to obtain image data representing the image of the product, obtain the reference image data, analyze the image data and the reference image data to identify the product and identify a size of a defect present on the product, and output a notification indicating whether or not the product is of acceptable quality.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2022Date of Patent: December 24, 2024Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLCInventors: Lokesh Kumar Sambasivan, Sandeep Jaywant Tendulkar, Shivani S. Naik, Pushkar Pushp, Soumabrata Arup Chakraborty, Abhishek Kushwaha, Maxine Caballero Perales, Chuck E. Tilmon, Geronimo Valenzuela, Ray L Baber, Daniel J. Forsgren, Chuck S. Rorie, Raghuram Sathyamurthy, Nicholas G. Van Voorst
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Patent number: 11733229Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to assessing products. In some embodiments, an enclosure for use in assessing products comprises a housing including a door configured to allow placement of a product within the housing, a product holding surface located within the housing allowing pictures to be taken through the product holding surface and configured to support the product, a first image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a first perspective, a second image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a second perspective, and wherein the image of the product from the second perspective is captured through the product holding surface, and a lighting element, wherein the lighting element is located within the housing, and wherein the lighting element is configured to provide lighting within the housing.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2022Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLCInventors: Joshua T. Bohling, Chuck E. Tilmon, Emily Moneka Francis Xavier, Daniel J. Pumford, Brian J. A. Schardt, Issac Mathew, Venkataraja Nellore, Gaurav Savlani, Viraj C. Patel, Rahul Agarwal, Pushkar Pushp, Jennifer McTeer
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Publication number: 20230245133Abstract: Systems and methods for assessing quality of and detecting defects in retail products include a housing having an interior, a product holding surface, an image capture device configured to capture an image of the product, a lighting element configured to provide lighting within the housing, an electronic database configured to store electronic data including reference image data associated with the product and representing the product in various sizes and various quality states, and a processor-based control circuit in communication with the first image capture device and the electronic database. The control circuit is configured to obtain image data representing the image of the product, obtain the reference image data, analyze the image data and the reference image data to identify the product and identify a size of a defect present on the product, and output a notification indicating whether or not the product is of acceptable quality.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2022Publication date: August 3, 2023Inventors: Lokesh Kumar Sambasivan, Sandeep Jaywant Tendulkar, Shivani S. Naik, Pushkar Pushp, Soumabrata Arup Chakraborty, Abhishek Kushwaha, Maxine Caballero Perales, Chuck E. Tilmon, Geronimo Valenzuela, Ray L. Baber, Daniel J. Forsgren, Chuck S. Rorie, Raghuram Sathyamurthy, Nicholas G. Van Voorst
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Patent number: 11388325Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to assessing products. In some embodiments, an enclosure for use in assessing products comprises a housing including a door configured to allow placement of a product within the housing, a product holding surface located within the housing allowing pictures to be taken through the product holding surface and configured to support the product, a first image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a first perspective, a second image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a second perspective, and wherein the image of the product from the second perspective is captured through the product holding surface, and a lighting element, wherein the lighting element is located within the housing, and wherein the lighting element is configured to provide lighting within the housing.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2019Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLCInventors: Joshua T. Bohling, Chuck E. Tilmon, Emily Moneka Francis Xavier, Daniel J. Pumford, Brian J. A. Schardt, Issac Mathew, Venkataraja Nellore, Gaurav Savlani, Viraj C. Patel, Rahul Agarwal, Pushkar Pushp, Jennifer McTeer
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Publication number: 20220210314Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to assessing products. In some embodiments, an enclosure for use in assessing products comprises a housing including a door configured to allow placement of a product within the housing, a product holding surface located within the housing allowing pictures to be taken through the product holding surface and configured to support the product, a first image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a first perspective, a second image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a second perspective, and wherein the image of the product from the second perspective is captured through the product holding surface, and a lighting element, wherein the lighting element is located within the housing, and wherein the lighting element is configured to provide lighting within the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 16, 2022Publication date: June 30, 2022Inventors: Joshua T. Bohling, Chuck E. Tilmon, Emily Moneka Francis Xavier, Daniel J. Pumford, Brian J. A. Schardt, Issac Mathew, Venkataraja Nellore, Gaurav Savlani, Viraj C. Patel, Rahul Agarwal, Pushkar Pushp, Jennifer McTeer
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Publication number: 20220046164Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to assessing products. In some embodiments, an enclosure for use in assessing products comprises a housing including a door configured to allow placement of a product within the housing, a product holding surface located within the housing allowing pictures to be taken through the product holding surface and configured to support the product, a first image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a first perspective, a second image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a second perspective, and wherein the image of the product from the second perspective is captured through the product holding surface, and a lighting element, wherein the lighting element is located within the housing, and wherein the lighting element is configured to provide lighting within the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2019Publication date: February 10, 2022Inventors: Joshua T. Bohling, Chuck E. Tilmon, Emily Moneka Francis Xavier, Daniel J. Pumford, Brian J.A. Schardt, Issac Mathew, Venkataraja Nellore, Gaurav Savlani, Viraj C. Patel, Rahul Agarwal, Pushkar Pushp, Jennifer McTeer
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Publication number: 20200275010Abstract: In some embodiments, apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided herein useful to assessing products. In some embodiments, an enclosure for use in assessing products comprises a housing including a door configured to allow placement of a product within the housing, a product holding surface located within the housing allowing pictures to be taken through the product holding surface and configured to support the product, a first image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a first perspective, a second image capture device configured to capture an image of the product from a second perspective, and wherein the image of the product from the second perspective is captured through the product holding surface, and a lighting element, wherein the lighting element is located within the housing, and wherein the lighting element is configured to provide lighting within the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2019Publication date: August 27, 2020Inventors: Joshua T. Bohling, Chuck E. Tilmon, Emily Moneka Francis Xavier, Daniel J. Pumford, Brian J.A. Schardt, Issac Mathew, Venkataraja Nellore, Gaurav Savlani, Viraj C. Patel, Rahul Agarwal, Pushkar Pushp, Jennifer McTeer